


When Sho Met Nino

by Yoshiblack16



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-15
Updated: 2014-01-15
Packaged: 2018-01-08 19:08:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1136334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yoshiblack16/pseuds/Yoshiblack16
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sho meets his boss and has lasting impressions that might or might not confuse him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Sho Met Nino

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted at su_i_ka lj as a gift for silver_crystall for the Sakumiya exchange.

When Sakurai Sho met Ninomiya Kazunari for the first time he instantly hated the guy.

Despite being one of the owners of the small shop Sho now worked in, the man didn’t seem to care a rat’s ass about the place. In fact, the reason he was hired was due to the other owner, Matsumoto Jun, was going on vacation and didn’t trust Ninomiya enough to let him run the place all by himself.

Sho’s first impression of Matsumoto was that of a reasonable man, someone who took his job seriously. Whereas his impression of Ninomiya was completely different. He only spent one day with said men, but he hardly thought he would change his mind.

He was wrong.

Matsumoto had arranged to leave a day after Sho started, just to make sure he was well trained. It wasn’t a big store or a concurred one, but the man prided himself on quality customer service, he didn’t want what little good reputation the shop had go to waste while he was gone.

On his day of training, Sho arrived at the shop at eight o’ clock in the morning only to find Matsumoto already there, making his way into the shop. Once in, he showed Sho the routine of setting up for opening when a small man wearing a cap, big hipster glasses, hunched over a DS console stood in front of the shop’s door. It intrigued Sho when the manager saw him there and just rolled his eyes and continued working. After a while the man started tapping on the front door and Matsumoto sighed, ignoring him again.

Sho wanted to ask, but he could see already that his boss was irritated; he thought it was better to leave him be but soon enough the man who was still playing his game, started kicking the door and the man snapped.

“Hurry up Jun, I’m freezing” Sho heard the small man say when Matsumoto headed to finally open the door, letting him in.

“Nino, you have your own damn set of keys, why the hell can’t you open the door?” He told the newcomer as he changed the Closed sign to Open behind him.

“You were there.” Nino said sarcastically without looking away from his console.

“Of course.” The manager replied in the same manner. “Whatever. Look, you know that I’m taking my leave tomorrow and I brought in help because I know how adverse you are to work without an audience. Here–

Matsumoto looked at Nino again who was still playing and snapped once more, “Will you turn off that damn thing already? I already opened the shop!”

“That means I don’t have to do anything already which also means I can very well keep playing,” he did pause his game anyway and smiled coyly at the taller man. “You were saying something about you leaving?”

“Yes, tomorrow. Hired a guy to fill in for me. Don’t make him quit before I come back, will you?” the taller man said resigned.

Sho who had been listening to the entire conversation thought it was his cue to greet his new co-worker.

“Hi, I’m the new guy, Sakurai Sho.” He bowed a little then saw the guy was still playing.

“Ninomiya Kazunari,” he said after a moment. “I’m the boss here contrary whatever J told you.” Sho didn’t like his tone.

“He hadn’t said anything about you, actually.” The comment made Ninomiya give Sho a quick glance and Sho could swear he saw Matsumoto smirk a little.

“I see.” He said simply. “Then I guess that means I’m not needed.” He declared and headed for the back room.

Matsumoto walked past the new employee and tapped his shoulder.

“He really is your boss though. We own this place together.” Jun was amused by the look of horror Sho gave him.

The rest of the day went by mostly uneventful if you don’t count the incident during lunch in which Sho’s little esteem for his weird boss shrunk once more when Matsumoto almost had to threaten the shorter man into eating something. It was then that Sho noticed that the man was indeed a little pale and too thin for it to be healthy. He sure hoped that feeding the little bugger wasn’t part of his job description.

By the end of the day Sho was tired but satisfied with the job. It was a nice business and the clientele seem to be made up of loyal customers by the way Jun seemed to know a lot of them by name. It took both of them one more hour to close up the store.

Ninomiya had moved on from his DS and was now sitting in front of the office computer with a headset on. Sho saw the headset and thought that he might be playing more games but was surprised to find him doing actual work. Matsumoto walked in behind him, looked at the new employee’s expression then at Nino and smiled.

“He may give the impression of being a lazy ass,” He said startling Sho. “But he does work, you know? He really loves this place.”

“I just happen to love annoying his majesty more.” Sho jumped at the sudden appearance of the subject of his and Jun’s conversation making both men chuckle.

“Sorry.” Nino apologized not sorry at all. “Well, gentleman it would seem I am in the way of your conversation about me so I should go.”

Ninomiya tries to walk past them but Jun grabs his arm. “Nino…” the rest was a silent conversation until the gamer swat away the taller man’s hand and said, “Don’t worry mom, I will not burn the house down while you’re gone.”

“That really doesn’t make feel reassured at all.”

“It wasn’t meant to.” Ninomiya smiled then left.

“Another day, that I didn’t strangle the little bugger’s neck. Go me.” Jun sounded tired but Sho could see a small curl on his boss’s lips.

Later, as he walked home Sho wondered what exactly was the relationship between those two. He was already at his doorstep when he realized that starting tomorrow he would have to work with the man alone. He hoped to be as patient as Jun was.

The next day Sho went to work but this time there was no Matsumoto waiting for him. He hoped that he didn’t have any problems being alone with Nino. He really liked the shop and wanted his limited time there to be pleasant. Nino arrived a few minutes after eight, just as the day before, playing on his DS. When he reached where Sho was, instead of pausing the game to open the door he just arched his hip a bit to the side. Sho stared at him.

“Can’t you do it yourself?”

“Do you really want to freeze out here? Just take the keys.” Sho reach down Ninomiya’s coat pocket for the keys a bit roughly.

“Whoa, easy there, at least ask me out on a date first.” Nino joked eyes still on his game. Sho turned around to open the door and said, “In your dreams.”

“See you tonight then.” He saw his boss wink him through the glass door.

Sho closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy.

That’s what Sho thought but once inside his boss actually stopped playing and helped him set up shop and during their shift he didn’t leave to play while there were customers around. It was like that during the course of the following days too. He was slowly getting used to Ninomiya’s antics passing them as quirks. Sho had to admit that their small banters were fun if he forgot how unsettled he felt whenever the gamer asked him out as a joke but Jun was right after all, Nino did love this place.

“You’re thinking that I’m awesome, aren’t you?” Nino said when he caught Sho staring at him.

“You got me, will you marry me?” Sho had found there was no need to hold back, even if he was being sarcastic to his boss.

“But of co–

But he was cut by the chimes on the door. A short tanned man entered the shop and started browsing, coming later to the register with a few items.

“Hey gorgeous,” Nino greeted the customer lecherously who smiled beautifully in response, to Sho’s confusion.

“Hi Nino, is Jun around?” Sho figured it must be another regular customer.

“No, he quit.” The man laughed.

“Yeah, you wish.” Nino grimaced, making the man laugh again.

“Why do you keep wasting your time with that jerk when you can go out with me instead?”

“We tried it once, remember? You got seasick.” The customer said with a chuckle making Sho smile which earned him a glare from his boss.

“Yes,” Sho saw him affirm the statement with an expression of bad memories. “You just had to take me fishing. Meh, whatever, I just remembered why I hate you.” He pulled in Sho close to him. “Besides, newbie here just proposed to me, didn’t you?” Sho shakes his head frantically and the customer smiles. Nino pushed Sho away and finished the sale. “Here you go, and don’t come back!”

“See you later, Nino.” He looks at Sho, “I’m sorry, I don’t think your fiancé,” He said nodding his head at Nino who was visibly sulking, “introduced us. I’m Ohno.”

“I’m Sho, please take care of me.” Sho couldn’t help but smile brightly. The man didn’t seem like much; he had a spacey look in his face but if he was able to make his boss sulk there was more to this man than meets the eye. Ohno took his bag and waved them goodbye, meanwhile Ninomiya had his elbows on the counter, his head resting on his hands looking at the man walking out and Sho thought that maybe; just maybe, his boss might be a little cute.

“Damn it, what a fine ass.”

Nevermind.

His job was supposed to last only during the time of Matsumoto’s vacation which ended pretty quick to Sho’s surprise and Nino’s disappointment, as he liked to complain often but after Jun came back, they decided to offer Sho a permanent job which he found himself accepting gladly. He tried hard to convince himself that he didn’t accept because he had come to like working with Nino.

One day during lunch, Sho had gone with Jun to get everyone some lunch and when they come back they found Nino flirting again with the tanned man from the other day, Ohno.

“Oh, your boyfriend arrived.” Nino scowled at Jun.

“And your fiancé.” Ohno said smirking at Sho making Jun look at him confused.

“The wedding is off. I barely like the guy.” Sho replied simply and went behind the counter to give Nino his bento. He took it and smiled. “Ah, but you still like me, I have hope.” Sho rolled his eyes.

“If only you weren’t so insufferable.”

“Then you’d think I was boring.”

“Does that mean you’re like this on purpose? Besides why should it matter what I think?” Nino, who all this time was smiling through their banter, got serious all of the sudden.

“Well, I thought I was being obvious, apparently not.” He took his bento and left to the back room.

Jun and Ohno looked comically from where Nino had left to Sho then at each other.

“What?” The employee asks confused.

“Nino likes you.” Jun finally tells him, Ohno nods wide eyed.

“WHAT? No, that can’t be. He’s always asking Ohno out,” he turns to the tanned man, “isn’t he?”

Ohno smiles, “That’s only because we’ve been like that since we were kids and he doesn’t like that I’m going out with Jun.”

“But…” he couldn’t think of anything more to say but his head was screaming things like: “Nino likes me!” “What the hell?” “Why am I not running away yet?” “Nino, Nino, NINO!”

Ohno and Jun looked at each other again and smiled.

“I think I’m leaving early today.” Jun says to Sho then turns back to Ohno. “Have you had lunch yet?” Ohno shook his head. “Let’s go have lunch then.” Jun took Ohno’s hand and they left the store together leaving Sho frozen in place.

Nino took that moment to come back with his lunch.

“Jun, what the hell? You know I don’t eat tuna!” He sees that Jun isn’t there anymore and turns to Sho. “Where did he go?” Sho didn’t answer instead pointed to the front door.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Sho stared blankly at him. “You like me?” Nino flushed instantly.

“Now I’m obvious?”

“Well… ah, Jun and Ohno said so.”

“Ah…” They stared at each other not knowing what else to say. The chimes announcing a customer saved them for further awkwardness and Nino took the moment to go to the back room again. Sho attended the customer and for the rest of the day both he and his boss quietly avoided each other until closing time.

“Is it really that bad that I like you?” Nino asked when they had finished and were about to leave the store.

“I don’t know…” Sho replied.

“Forget it then.” His boss told him sharply and left.

Sho walked home slowly, still thinking about Nino and he surprised himself thinking that Nino was right about what he said. He thought about the time he had spent alone with his annoying boss and he found himself smiling at their now usual banter. It was fun, and he liked it.

“Oh, bother, I like him.” He got home and plopped onto his bed trying not to think how awkward tomorrow was going to be.

When he arrived to the store the next morning Jun was already inside so he had to knock to let him know he was there. He came to the door with a mischievous smile that made Sho uneasy.

“Morning, Jun.” He greeted as went inside.

“Morning.” Jun replied still smiling despite noticing Sho greeting wasn’t very energetic.

“Couldn’t sleep, huh?” Sho’s boss said teasingly.

“Oh, please not now…” that made Jun chuckle. “Fine, I’ll stop but did you talk to Nino?”

“Sort of…”

“And?” Jun prompted.

“I don’t know.” Sho sighed and Jun frowned.

“Somehow I think you do.” Matsumoto didn’t wait for him to say anything else and went back to work.

They went on with preparing the shop for the day and Sho found it strange that Nino hadn’t showed up yet. He usually came in a little later than eight after, now that Matsumoto was back and he didn’t need to help preparing the shop. Sho found himself staring at the front door, waiting. Then Matsumoto told him that it was time to open. The first few hours are slow ones so they only get a few customers on their way to work, still no sign of Nino.

“Where is Nino?” Sho asked his boss when there were no customers around.

“Oh, he’s not coming today.” Jun replied simply.

“Why?”

“You’re here.” Was his boss’s simple reply, again.

“What the hell does that have to do with anything?” Sho had a bad feeling about this.

“I don’t know, go ask him.” Jun handed him a piece of paper with an address on it. Sho stared at his boss pleadingly but he wouldn’t have it. “Just get this over with, please.”

-

Sho stood in front of Nino’s door, according to the address Jun gave him but couldn’t amount the courage to knock on it now that he was there. He still had his doubts about his boss even if he had come to accept that he did like him. Then again, all Sho could think about was how cheeky Nino would get once he confessed, he wasn’t sure he was ready for it. He was about to knock on the door when somebody grabbed his shoulder making him jump back against the door.

“Really, this is all it takes to pin you against a door? Had I known this before…” Sho glared at Nino who now stood in front of him with a few grocery bags.

“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday, you were right after all, it’d be pretty boring if you were any different.” He hoped that was enough to make Nino understand.

“And you would like it very much if I appreciated your ass rather than Oh-chan’s?” There it was, that dreaded cheeky smile. “Because I sort of already do.”

“Like me saying anything would make a difference.” Sho rolled his eyes. “Now, will you come to work?”

Nino looks at him puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

“Jun said you wouldn’t come to work while I was there.”

“No I didn’t.” Sho didn’t like the knowing smile on Nino’s face.

“Then why?”

“It's my day off.”


End file.
